Article 7 of the Saudi Electricity Law
المادة 7 من نظام الكهرباء · الفصل الثالث: الإطار التنظيمي للرخصة
The article gives a licensee the right to obtain land under the expropriation law and to reach connection points, and requires bodies responsible for layouts to reserve sites for transmission and distribution stations.
Official text (Arabic)
This article has not been amended since the law was issued.
1- للمرخص له الحصول على أرض مناسبة للمشروع أو المسار من أجل القيام بالنشاط المرخص به، أو لأغراض متعلقة بنشاطه، وفقاً لنظام نزع ملكية العقارات للمنفعة العامة ووضع اليد المؤقت على العقار.
2- للمرخص له -في سبيل القيام بواجباته بناءً على الرخصة الممنوحة له، وإلى المدى والصفة اللتين تحددهما اللوائح- حق الوصول بمعداته وتجهيزاته في الحدود الضرورية اللازمة حتى نقطة ربط منظومته الكهربائية بالمنظومة الكهربائية لأحد عملائه.
3- تلتزم الجهات المسؤولة عن اعتماد المخطط وإصدار رخص البناء بالتأكد من وجود مواقع مخصصة لمحطات النقل والتوزيع الرئيسة والفرعية في المخططات الجديدة عند اعتماد المخطط وإصدار رخص البناء.
4- يجب على أي جهة أن تنسق مع المرخص له بالنقل والتوزيع قبل اعتماد أي تعديل -من قبلها ووفقاً لصلاحياتها- في ضوابط تراخيص البناء بالمخططات القائمة، لضمان تأمين المواقع اللازمة لمحطات النقل والتوزيع الرئيسة والفرعية.
5- يجوز للجهة الحكومية -لأغراض تقديم الخدمة للمواقع التابعة لها- التنازل عن أصول الأنشطة الكهربائية لمصلحة المرخص له، وفق الضوابط التي تضعها الهيئة.
This is the official Arabic wording, the only legally binding version. We do not translate the law itself; the explanation below is ours. Official source: Bureau of Experts at the Council of Ministers
Article 7 explained in plain English
This article addresses the need of electricity projects for land and sites, in five provisions:
- Obtaining land: a licensee may obtain land suitable for the project or route, to carry out the licensed activity or for purposes related to its activity, in accordance with the Law of Expropriation of Real Property for the Public Interest and Temporary Seizure of Property. The right is therefore exercised through that law and its procedures, not outside them.
- Right of access: in order to carry out its duties under its license, the licensee has the right of access with its equipment and facilities, within the necessary limits, up to the point where its electrical system connects to the system of one of its customers, and to the extent and in the capacity that the regulations specify.
- New layouts: the bodies responsible for approving a layout and issuing building permits must make sure that sites are reserved for the main and secondary transmission and distribution stations when the layout is approved and the permits are issued.
- Existing layouts: any body must coordinate with the transmission and distribution licensee before approving any change in the building permit controls in existing layouts, to ensure that station sites are secured.
- Government assets: for the purpose of providing service to its sites, a government body may assign the assets of electricity activities to the licensee, in accordance with controls the Authority sets.
Article 1 defines a transmission station as one that converts transmission voltage to another transmission voltage or to medium voltage, a main distribution station as one that converts medium voltage to another medium voltage, and a secondary station as one that converts it to low voltage.
An owner of real property affected by an electricity project may consult a lawyer who specializes in real estate or administrative cases, because the details of expropriation and compensation are governed by the Law of Expropriation of Real Property, not by this article.
Practical example
A real estate company developed a new residential layout north of Riyadh. When the layout is approved, the body responsible for approving it must make sure that sites are reserved in it for main and secondary distribution stations.
Translated from our Arabic explanation with machine assistance. For guidance only; it does not replace advice from a lawyer on your situation.
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Frequently asked questions about Article 7 of the Saudi Electricity Law
Can the electricity company expropriate land?
A licensee may obtain land suitable for its project or route in accordance with the Law of Expropriation of Real Property for the Public Interest and Temporary Seizure of Property.
Must a site be reserved for an electricity station in new layouts?
Yes. The bodies responsible for approving the layout and issuing building permits must make sure that sites are reserved for the main and secondary transmission and distribution stations.
Is the electricity company entitled to reach the customer's meter?
The licensee has the right of access with its equipment and facilities, within the necessary limits, up to the point where its system connects to its customer's system, to the extent and in the capacity the regulations specify.
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1- لا يجوز للمرخص له إيقاف خدمة الكهرباء عن المستهلك إلا بعد إشعاره ووفقاً للضوابط التي تحددها اللوائح. 2- على المرخص له الالتزام بالنظام واللوائح، وشروط الرخصة
The texts are reproduced from the official website of the Bureau of Experts at the Council of Ministers for reference; where they differ, the officially published Arabic text prevails. This content is not legal advice.